Five Takeaways: Syracuse 86 North Carolina 79

What to make of Orange basketball's upset victory over the Tar Heels.

Syracuse basketball knocked off the top team in the ACC on Tuesday with an 86-79 victory over the Tar Heels. Here are five takeaways from the win. 

1. Coaching

Adrian Autry coached a magnificent game against North Carolina. Not only getting the team ready and battling against one of the better front courts in the country despite being undersized and depleted, but also in game. He changed tempos masterfully, perfectly deciding when to play fast and when to slow things down. Over the last four plus minutes, he slowed things down to shorten the game while holding the lead. It worked to perfection. Quite an impressive display from the leader of the Orange. 

2. Offensive Efficiency

This was one of Syracuse's best offensive games of the season. The Orange was extremely efficient shooting 62.5% from the floor and 47% from three. A big reason why was the quality of shots they were getting. Very few, if any, shots during the game felt forced other than JJ Starling's long three as the shot clock was expiring. Largely, Syracuse executed its offensive game plan to perfection. Attach North Carolina off the dribble with its three guards to get a good look at the rim, stop for an open mid-range jumper or dish to a teammate for an open shot. The Tar Heels could not stay in front of the Orange guards all night and Syracuse got high percentage shots regularly as a result. 

3. Zone

When Syracuse first went zone in the first half, North Carolina attacked it beautifully. They got open looks from the outside, got the ball into the middle, and the attack helped get them back into the game after falling behind by 10. However, the second half was a different story. The zone was more active, stayed out on shooters and forced a lot of difficult looks. That is why UNC only shot 41% in the second half compared to 56% in the first. The ability to change defenses depending upon personnel, opponent and situation is important and Tuesday night was a prime example of that. 

4. Rebounding

Syracuse lost the rebounding battle by eight. Given that Syracuse lost it by over 20 in the first meeting and how big of a size advantage the Tar Heels had, losing by eight was not bad at all. Syracuse was battling on the boards right from the start despite the size differential and gave that effort throughout. Quadir Copeland had a key box out of Armando Bacot late in the second half. It was not just one guy either. Five guys had between three and six rebounds. Syracuse needs to keep up that effort on the boards the rest of the season. 

5. Signature Win

Adrian Autry and this team got its signature win. It may not end up turning into an NCAA Tournament bid, but it gives them a shot. This is a big win for the team, for the program and the future of the program. It showed that Autry can coach in big games, prepare his team for big games and win a big game. All very encouraging. This team still has its flaws that it will deal with for the rest of the year, but how they played together on both ends shows the potential of what they can be. Has Syracuse turned a corner? Perhaps. The way to prove that is by winning on Saturday against a 10-14 Georgia Tech team. 

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